


Gently, Gently

by Pielotdameron



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Actually good master Qui-Gon later, Because I’m sick of the slander, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, He sorts himself out later, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, I swear Qui-Gon isn’t a bad guy in this, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Protective Qui-Gon Jinn, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pielotdameron/pseuds/Pielotdameron
Summary: Obi-Wan’s first year of being a padawan is not what he expects, but of course he does his best with what he does get.
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 178





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read as a stand-alone of course, but this is the story that Obi-Wan brushes on with Anakin in ‘Alone Again’
> 
> There is a brief mention of an eating disorder, but nothing detailed, I just wanted to mention it
> 
> Enjoy me torturing Obi-Wan again ❤️

Just because Qui-Gon was a distant master did not mean he was a bad one.

Obi-Wan understood this, but that didn’t stop it hurting each time he was brushed off. Ever since the master had taken him on, the unloveable padawan, he had sought the mans approval. He worked himself half to death studying, doing katas, meditating, trying to match Qui-Gon’s own force signature.

It never made a difference, he never even got a smile for his actions. He had cleaned their quarters, maintained his padawan braid on his own, tried to keep everything perfect. Slowly, but obviously, he stopped caring. It started with his facial hair, straggly strands beginning to grow through as he stopped shaving as a part of his routine, his skin became sunken as he stopped sleeping, his fighting stance became loose and barely practical. And still, Qui-Gon didn’t even glance at him, the same vacant look in his eyes as always.

Obi-Wan started believing it was his fault. Nobody had wanted him, but clearly his master hadn’t either, had taken him on out of pity. He stopped eating then, knowing that he would be helping Qui-Gon by disappearing. Even when his friends started noticing he didn’t stop or care, it wouldn’t matter. No matter how many missions he succeeded, how one with the force he tried to be, his master only looked through him.

But one day something changed.

He had forgotten when he last ate, but when he went to train with Bant that afternoon, he felt worse than usual. Instead of his usual nausea and minor dizziness that he was used to, he had a fully blown blinding headache. He was struggling to focus on Bant, and suddenly the floor was a lot closer, and the thickness of the training mat beneath him startled him enough to blink his eyes wide despite any discomfort. He couldn’t be sent to the healers, he would be disappointing Qui-Gon, he couldn’t do that. He took a deep breath and used the force to propel himself up and over her head, landing on her other side and knocking her feet from beneath her with his training saber. She looked shocked, and for a moment he assumed it was at his new move, but then he tasted blood, and the world was swirling dangerously around him. He stumbled back a little, crashing hard into something warm and solid. Just as he felt his knees give in, large hands lifted him and cradled him against what he assumed was someone’s chest. He gasped out loud when the dormant padawan-Master force bond that had never really been much of anything flared, and he found himself grasping hard at the unfamiliar feeling, refusing to let it go in case Qui-Gon chose to drop him again. He realised too late that his shields had fallen, and to his utter mortification, Qui-Gon had clearly noticed. Blinking his eyes open for barely a moment proved to be a bad choice, because he found his master looking down at him, the hall behind them moving. So he was being a burden, his master shouldn’t have to carry him around like a crèchling. The only reason they were here was because Obi-Wan had failed as a padawan. He screwed his eyes closed.

“Enough, little one, I won’t have you thinking those sorts of things.” Qui-Gon’s voice was a steady rumble in his ear, and Obi-Wan smiled to himself subconsciously. Just because his master had so far been absent didn’t mean his acknowledgment didn’t mean the world to him. He’d never had a master, or a father, so even the hint of care made him tremble.

There was a steady hand beneath his head, and for the first time in days he settled into an easy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui-Gon realises his mistake, albeit a little after the fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split this last chapter so I had an epilogue, that should be out some time tomorrow

When the young man finally drifted to sleep, Qui-Gon set him down on the couch in their shared quarters and studied him properly. Although his bright eyes were closed, the master knew they were bloodshot. There were dark circles under them, so deep that Qui-Gon was sure they had become permanent bruises; there was a stream of blood trickling down his face that came from somewhere in his hairline, blending in with ginger locks that were slightly too long for padawan regulations. He couldn’t really tell since his hair was so light, but when he gently cupped his cheek he felt a dusting of stubble. The senior padawan was alarmingly thin and easy to carry, his thin wrists bruised from any attempts to use the limbs as usual. All at once he realised just how much damage he had done by refusing to let go of the past. At first, he had been unable to differentiate between Xanatos and Obi-Wan, the two were so similar as padawans, and then when the boy had started slacking, he distanced himself from the inevitable turn to the dark side.

He hadn’t realised the boy took so little care of himself. Motions slow and careful, he tucked a blanket over his bony shoulders, stroking his papery skin as he thought. According to all of his padawans teachers, the boys grades were still steadily the best in his year despite his rapidly declining health. He sighed, pressing against his signature in the force, reassured despite the dullness in the once bright field. He had taken far too long to initiate the bond, despite Obi-Wan’s numerous attempts to do so in the first year of his apprenticeship.

Had he really been neglecting him for a year?

Kriff, he had failed Obi-Wan so spectacularly, and yet the boy was still firmly on the light side of the force, his faith in his master strong despite all of the mans clear failures. If he was a man believing in luck, he would say he was a very lucky master indeed that the younger hadn’t chosen the dark, the side of the force that welcomed the feelings Obi-Wan must have. Although clearly there was work to be done, and anything that he had to do, he would make sure he did well, he had to try and make up his near-neglect that landed him in such a state. He sat down heavily beside his padawan, shocked into a stupor when the younger immediately curled around him like a young sea urchin, all jabbing elbows and knees that hooked into the grooves on Qui-Gon’s own body. He sighed slowly, relaxing into the contact.

Maybe he still had the chance to bond with him before it was too late.

Over the night, Qui-Gon had to settle more nightmares than he thought one so young could have. He realised, sadly, that he had no idea what his padawan had been doing over the course of what should have been his strongest years of training. The boy must have been on a fair share of missions if he wanted to hide Qui-Gon’s failure. And knowing the studious young man, he probably would have done everything to blend in, make sure nobody knew that the ‘unwanted padawan’ wasn’t even receiving his training. Qui-Gon hadn’t done a mission report in years, and was ashamed to realise he hadn’t even thought twice about who must be taking the brunt of that workload. Now he knew. His wonderfully overachieving padawan, who had carefully covered the tracks Qui-Gon’s neglect left, leaving the council completely unawares.

Qui-Gon took a steadying breath, reaching out in the force and finding himself relaxing into the man’s strong force signature. He was even more impressed with the pure light emanating from the man, knowing he had entirely taught himself how to centre on the force by feeling into Qui-Gon’s own turbulent signature. His fighting stance was entirely defensive, only what he could learn by sparring, but clearly he had worked hard, judging by that flip move he had seen Jedi masters in his time fail. If Obi-Wan could perform a move like that while in such a weakened state, Qui-Gon desperately wanted to see what he could do with some actual training.

Speaking of, Obi-Wan was finally coming around.

“Mmmm….master?” Obi-Wan sounded so dazed, so genuinely confused that Qui-Gon was there, and it sent a pang through his heart.

“Yes little one, it’s me.” He sent gentle reassurance through their already strengthening bond, watching as the mans eyes widened in a way that would have been comical had it not been so significant in telling what their bond was like.

“Ah… I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep on the sofa, I’ll make sure I clean the quarters in a moment.” His heart broke as Obi-Wan slowly pushed himself up on trembling arms, screwing his eyes closed again against the onslaught of pain that he had tried to hide from everyone.

“No need padawan mine, they’re already fine. Would you like some tea?” He waited patiently for the slow nod, and gently pressed some pain relievers into the mans shaking palm.

“Thank you.” He was so tentative, Qui-Gon almost didn’t hear him, but he sent him what he hoped was a comforting smile and moved into the small kitchen to make some broth. He watched Obi-Wan shuffle slowly into the fresher and relaxed knowing that the boy, almost man, was finally taking at least a little care of himself. He waited for the broth the cool before pouring it into a small bowl that would be easier for him to hold. He contemplated calmly for a while, watching as the sun rose over Coruscant and bathed their quarters in a soft glow that created a halo around Obi-Wan’s wet hair as he came stumbling out of the fresher, looking better than before, but far more exhausted. Which was impressive considering his state in the training grounds.

“Here, padawan mine, sit.” He used one hand to gently push the ginger onto the couch, noticing but choosing not to comment when Obi-Wan leaned into the touch, struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Wa’issit?” He was mumbling again, but Qui-Gon understood him fine.

“Some broth little one, it should clear your head.” He carefully didn’t comment on the boy’s weight, but what he really wanted to do was pour so much broth down his neck he fell asleep. It was the most worrying thing at the moment, the thing that Qui-Gon really didn’t know how to handle. But he was going to try, he couldn’t ever leave his poor padawan this alone again.

When he sat down on the couch with the two mugs of tea, he was surprised to find Obi-Wan had shifted, and a moment later found he had a young octopus for a padawan, all his limbs locking around Qui-Gon in a way that left him immobilised. He took a mug from his stunned master and even shot him a cheeky little grin that had the old masters heart warming.

Under the light of Coruscants sun, with the bustling of the city below and a wise beyond his years padawan in his lap, Qui-Gon smiled genuinely for the first time in years, one hand resting casually on Obi-Wan’s side as the younger ate his broth in calm silence.

That night they talked for a long time about padawans, exceeded expectations and why the past had to be let go in due time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did I do with Qui-Gon’s POV?


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heading rapidly upwards for our favourite duo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two together so much

Over the next few months, Obi-Wan’s teachers, peers and friends watched as he skyrocketed in grades once more. His teachers thought it had to be impossible for him to retain quite so much information on his own, and Qui-Gon would grin, wink and say no more. His once declining health had steadied. The boy had an alarming fear of anything involving medical care, often causing problems, but they found that as long as Qui-Gon was the one doing everything, things seemed less terrifying.

There were still times when Qui-Gon would wake from an age old nightmare and find Obi-Wan curled in a little ball, filling in mission reports that he knew didn’t belong to the boy, scanning the archives, taking notes. Obi-Wan always used the same mug, with some fresh tea always brewed nearby, and their quarters always smelled of it.

On their bad nights, because sometimes they lined up, they would simply hold each other, no words needed because they both just _understood._ Obi-Wan’s nightmares had him sobbing into his pillow, but he was always so quiet, so unobtrusive. Qui-Gon would carry him back to his own bed quarters and settle them both on the bigger bed as Obi-Wan just let himself feel, knowing he was safe. After multiple nights in a row of being transported around after nightmares, Obi-Wan just curled up in his masters bed, his head against the older mans chest and sleeping nightmare free because he was close.

The young man may have had to grow up too fast, may have pushed himself way too far, and of course they still had their bad days, but as they watched the sunrise together, signalling four months of their bond, they smiled at one another, the grin saying more than words ever could.

And far away in the temple, Yoda hummed in contentment, the force around him bubbling with the love that couldn’t be contained even behind Obi-Wan’s durasteel shields.

Not that any of them tried to contain it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes this story!
> 
> Should I do more stuff with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan?

**Author's Note:**

> There’s maybe one or two more chapters after this from Qui-Gon’s pov, what do you think so far?


End file.
